The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-07
ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
The Intolerance, Dishonesty and Dscad-
ence OF the Rep1slicsn Party.

| "a POhdCA party Will AOiOi anu
principle as its guides, appears at its
best in the moment of defeat Re-
verses only tend to purify it from the
dross which accumulates around it aft
er long term of power and triumph.
The leaders OF such party, instead OF
being disheartened by nOn-success at
the polls, renew their efforts with
greater energy to put their party in
better shape for the next contest, and
their followers are inspired by con-
seriousness of the righteousness of their
cause. Reform becomes their rallying
cry, and they endeavor, in every way,
to show that they are sincere in their
professions of reform. In this manner
the Democratic party constantly in
creased its strength, won the admira-
ton of even its opponents, and bore it
self with dignity and respect during
the long saturnalia of Republican rule
Thus it built itself up after each de-
feat, and at length triumphed over
what were considered insuperable OBJ
stacles.
The people grew tired of the corrup-
ton of the dominant party and its law
less methods to perpetuate its power,
and in 1884 they rose up in their might
and overthrow the corruptions and
their mighty edifce of fraud, decep-
ton and tyrannical partisanship. They
turned towards the party which had
given such indubitable tokens of its
| sincerity TO the cause of reforms and
placed it in charge of their interests.
How that trust has been fulfilled the
history of the present Administration
for two years and a quarter sufficiently
testifies. The judgment of the people
has been amply sustained; corruption
has disappeared from the Federal Off
ces; economy has succeeded extrava-
gance. and honesty has been substi-
tuted for thieving; the growing power
of monopoly has been checked and
she rights of labor have been recog-
nized; the sunshine of business pros
perity is beaming over the land, and on
all sides is manifested feeling of con-
fidence and content.
The Republican party has been out
of power for two years and quarter,
long enough TO judge of its capability
| to sustain adverses. How has it borne
adversely? Has it endeavored to purify
itself and win back the confidence of
the people by endeavcring to assimilate
itself to their interests? On the con-
trary it has, strange to say, made
every effort to ALLEVIATE still further the
minds of the people from it. In this
State it has delivered itself into the
power of a petty boss, who has not
even ability to back his pretensions.
1t has shown its contempt for the
constitution, its servility towards the
corporations, its hostility toward Union
veterans, Knights of Labor, Changers
and the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, its disregard for the canal
and commercial interests of the State,
its blind, unreasoning partisanship,
and its advocacy of indefensible jobs
and schemes of plumber. 1t is no
longer the Republican party that Sew
ard, Conkling, Fenton and Arthur re-
garded with pride; it has become the
party of Plat, the party of the rag
ring. the party of the combine and
of ''scrambling about the corridors.
Over in New Hampshire the Repub-
lican party is on the point of changing
its name to that of the party of Chan
der. The hero of the Tallapoosa, the
last wrecker of Uncle Sans navy, the
maker of worthless contracts, which
cost the taxpayers pretty penny, has
been sent to the United States Senate
to represent the Granite State. One
would suppose that the Republican
party had suffered enough in the past
from the faint of Chamberlain, and that
little experience would have taught il
to let slippery "Bilr' alone for the
future. But experience seems to have
been lost on it, if the confidence ex-
pressed by Senator Blair, that he hopes
to have "Bill" Chandler as colleague,
be well founded. We may next expect
to see "Secor" Robson rising up in
New Jersey and entrusted with the
task of patching the badly shattered
Republican machine in that State
Another appropriate resurrection in
company with Chandler and Robson
would be that of Keifer in Ohio.
Such is the spirit shown by the Re-
publican party in adversely. Expert
ence has been lost upon it, or, rather,
has. made it, if possible, more intol-
Grant and corrupt. 1t clings to every
morsel of patronage with more eager
ness than it did when the Nations |
Golfers were in its custody and boldly
proclaim its intention, should the peo-
pie ever give it the chance. which they
will not, to boycott Democrats with |
more virulence than it did before, and |
make up for its exclusion from power
by squeezing the taxpayers. A coterie
of rich men control its action and die
tate its policy and it is as devoid of |
patriotic aspirations and principles as
when it was driven out of the offices it |
abused.
Is it any wonder, then, that the tide |
of Democracy is rising higher each
year and sweeping away, in its resist
less power, Republican strongholds
which were considered impregnable?
Even Rhode Island, '.iron-clad and
rock-ribbed Republican Rhode Island"
as Governor Hill termed it, has
passed out of Republican hands, in
spite of the party advantage main